American Museum of Natural History Research Library
author: American Museum of Natural History

Rose Center for Earth and Space. David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth; Hall of Planet Earth; David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth; Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth
birth: 1999
death: present
Permanent exhibition. Opened June 12, 1999. Located on Floor 1, Section 19. The David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth at the American Museum of Natural History is a part of the Rose Center for Earth Space. It is the only hall in the Rose Center not located within the Rose Center building and instead occupies a space in the Whitney building, which was constructed in 1933. The 8,830 square-foot Hall of Planet Earth tells the story of Earth, from its early evolution to the earthquakes and storms of today and features geological specimens from around the globe (1,1998/99, p. 28; 2, 2001, p. 67). Curators from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences include Chair Edmond A. Mathez, James Webster, associate curator, and Rosamond Kinzler, research scientist, along with contributions from more than 125 scientists from around the world. The exhibits were designed by Ralph Applebaum Associates and the architects were Polshek and Partners. Support for the hall was provided by David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman, the State of New York, the City of New York, the Office of the Mayor of New York, the Speaker and Council of the City of New York, and the Office of the Manhattan Borough President. Programming and educational support was provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Earth Event Wall has been supported by a grant from Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. (1, 1998/99, p. 28).
The Hall of Planet Earth features exhibits that explain how the planet works with exhibition zones organized around five major questions: How has the Earth evolved? Why are there ocean basins, continents, and mountains? How do we read rocks? What causes climate and climate change? And Why is the Earth habitable? (3).
The hall features 168 rock specimens, many of them touchable, and 11 full-scale casts of classic outcroppings from 25 different countries. More than 38 tons of rock, including granite, marble, sandstone, basalt, shale, coral, and precious metals are displayed. At the center of the hall is the Dynamic Earth Globe, which displays a digital video presenting a view of the Earth from outer space and using data from U.S. Air Force Defense Meteorological satellites and polar-orbiting weather satellites. As with the Hall of Biodiversity and the Rose Center's Cullman Hall of the Universe, the Hall of Planet Earth features an electronic bulletin, the Earth Event Wall, which broadcasts global events such as storms, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions (3).
At the north end of the hall, a large video screen projects Earth scenes from around the world. Views of volcanoes erupting, rivers overflowing, thunderstorms, and glaciers flowing are coupled with "Sounds of the Earth," a specially created soundscape providing an immersive experience. The soundscape was a collaboration between Charles Morrow Associates, Frank Rasor from the Exhibition Department, Brad Berlin of Berlin Acoustics, and Oliver Pemberton of Electrosonic. An array of video monitors shows scientists working in the field, and computer interactives allow visitors to explore geologic time and to gain an understanding of the methods scientists use to study vast Earth systems (1, 1998/99, p. 28; 2, 2001, p. 84).
Additional information can be found in the main record for the Rose Center for Earth and Space under Relations.